Cigaret dispenser



March 9, 1948. J J GERONDALE 2,437,464

0 IGARET DISPENSER Filed July 29, 1947 IN V EN TOR. /0///\/ z/ 6590mm 4 5 Patented Mar. 9, 1948 CIGARET DISPENSER John J. Gerondale, Detroit, Mich, assignor of one-half to Vernon K. Stanley, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 29, 1947, Serial No. 764,292

6 Claims. (01. 312-83) This invention relates to a dispensing device and more particularly to a dispensing device in which different species of articles contained within the device may be discharged through a common discharge passage.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a device for dispensing articles such as cigarets wherein one or more storage compartments are provided for the reception of diiferent brands of cigarets.

An important object of the invention is to provide adjacent compartments having a common discharge passage with a single control means for discharging a single article from either of the' compartments. r

Another object of the invention is to provide a movable floor for the compartment moved by the article being discharged whereby the movement of the floor repositions the remaining articles in the container to prevent binding or wedging.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trap door, pivotally mounted on the floor and operable in conjunction with a rotatable member for permitting discharge of the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel discharge passage for the article as it is being dispensed which will not only receive the article but will direct it outwardly and forwardly of the compartment to a position where it may be easily reached without the operator reaching into the dispensing device,

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following des'crip-- tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing in perspective the improved dispensing device;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fi 2.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a cabinet l0 having a front wall l2, back wall l4, end walls [6, a bottom I 8, and a cover 20. The cover is shown as a transparent member but it will be understood that the cover may be made of any material such as wood, metal, plastic or the like. Likewise, the cabinet walls may be made of any suitable material, either molded or an open box structure or fabricated from sheet material.

Compartments A, B, C. and D are formed in the upper portion of thecabinet ID by transversely extending partitions 22 and 24 which have their lower edges spaced from the bottom l8. As illustrated, four compartments have been provided I but any desired number may be formed.

The adjacent compartments A and B are separated by one of the partitions 22 and the compartments C and D are separated by the other of the partitions 22. Under the lower edges of the partitions 22 are transversely extending rollers 26 rotatably supported between the front wall l2 and back wall I 4 on shafts 25 and 21, journaled respectively in -the walls. g

Floors 28 rest upon transversely extending members 30 secured to the front and back walls and are hinged to a door 32. Thehinge may be a piece of tape 34 adhesively joined to the under surfaces of the door 32 and floors 28.

The doors are pivotally supported between the front and back walls by pins 36. The doors are held in normal position by springs 38 and 40. The springs 38 are preferably wire material having their opposite ends secured to the ends l6 and door 32 respectively while the spring 40 is bent into V-shape having its opposite ends secured respectively in the doors 32 for the adjacent compartments B and C.

The space between the rollers 26 and the lower edge of the doors 32 normally is such that the .article will not pass therebetween but when tilted to a position as shown in the compartment B the article will pass therebetween. The tilting of the door causes a reverse tilting of the floor 28- thus agitating the articlein' the compartment.

A trough 42 is positioned directly underneath the rollers 26 for receiving the articles as they are passed between the rollers and the door. This trough is U-shaped in cross section and has the bottom curved upwardly as at 4'4, shown in Fig. 3. At the upper portion of the curve an inwardly depressed portion 46 is formed to first receive the end of an article as it is dropped from the compartment. This aids in forcing the article forwardly with one end thereof extended beyond the front wall of the cabinet.

The shaft 25 extends through the front wall it and a knob 48 is received on its outer end for turning the roller 26. The roller has its outer periphery covered with a rough surface such as sand paper 50 or sand may be adhesively secured directly to the outer surface of the roller.

On the outer surface of the front panel are insignia 52 for each of the several compartments. These are to denote the articles within the com- 55 partments.

edge of the doo'r 32. This causes a tilting of the door about its pivot 36 and an upward tilting of the adjacent edge of the floor 28. The rear edge I of the door 32 moves toward the roller thereby preventing the remaining cigaret from being carposition. The cigaret thenried to the dispensing tainer provided with a pair of adjacent compartments having a communicating passage therebetween, a roller rotatably mounted in the passage and so positioned that a portion of the peripheral surface of said roller is in each compartment, a tilting floor for each compartment adjacent said roller, resilient means for tilting one edge of said floor toward said roller, and a discharge trough below said roller, said trough having an arcuate' bottom surface;

I 4. A dispensing device comprising a compartment having side walls and an open bottom, a

pivoted door in the opening at the bottom, a

' floor hinged to one edge of said door, a roller drops over the forward edge of door 32 into the trough where it is slid opening in the front wall l2.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the one roller operates in conjunction with two on jacent compartments and a cigaret may bedispensedfrom either compartment by turning clockwise or counter clockwise.

It will be understood that various changesincluding thesize, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1; A dispensing device comprising a container provided with a pair of adjacent compartments having a communicating passage therebetween, a roller rotatably mounted in the passage and so positioned that a portion of the peripheral surface of saidrroller is in each compartment, a door in each compartment pivotally supported adjacent the-passage for movement toward and away fromsaid roller, a floor in each compartment hinged to one edge of each of said doors, and resilient means for urging the free edge of said doortoward said roller. 2. A dispensing. device comprising a con tainer provided with a pair of adjacent compartments having a communicating passage therebetween, a rollerrotatably mounted in the passage and so positioned that a portion of the peripheral surface of said roller is in each com-- partment, a tilting floor for each compartment adjacent said roller, resilient meansfor tilting one edge of said floor toward said roller, and a discharge trough below said roller. l

3. A dispensing device comprising a conforwardl'y through the l adjacent theopposite edge of said door, and -resilieiit means for urging the said opposite edge of said door toward said roller.

5. A" dispensing device comprising a container having four side walls and a bottom, partitions between two opposite side walls forming a' plurality of compartments; said partitionsterminatinga distance" above said bottom; a roller rotatably mounted between said side walls and extending longitudinally between one of said partitions and said bottom and being located adjacent the lower edge of the partition, a slanting floor between the side walls in close proximity to said roller, a door between said side walls pivotally supported between its opposite longitudinal edges, a hinge between one edge of said floor and one edge of said door, and resilient-means for urging the opposite: edge of said door toward said roller.

6. A dispensing device comprising a container having four side walls and a bottom, partitions between twoopposite-side walls forming a plurality of compartments, said partitions terminating a distance above said bottom, a roller rotatably mounted between said-side walls and extending longitudinally between one of said partitions and said bottom and being located adjacent the lower edge of thepartition, a slanting floor betweenthe sidewalls in close proximity to said roller, 2. door between said side walls pivotallysupported between its op posite longitudinal edges, a hinge between one edge of said floor and one edge ofsaid door, resilient'means for urging the opposite edge of said door toward said roller, and a trough below said roller having a forwardly slanting floor for directing a dispensed article forwardly through an opening in the front side wall of said container.

JOHN'J. GERONDAIE. 

